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A Guide to UCF Tailgates
What is a Tailgate? According to our dear friend, Google, a tailgate is “a social gathering at which an informal meal is served from the back of a parked vehicle, typically in the parking lot of a sports stadium.” Realistically, a tailgate doesn’t have to have food served from the back of a parked vehicle but the social aspect of it is applicable. When do Tailgates Happen? Tailgates usually happen right before (and sometimes after) a sporting event. The exact time of a tailgate depends on when the sporting event itself will be taking place. For example, if a football game is at 6:00 PM, the official tailgate time might start at 12:00 PM and end right when the game starts. It really depends on the game and the campus. Where do Tailgates Take Place? This depends on the campus. At UCF, the prime tailgating spots on Memory Mall are reserved to students and alumni. If you are one of those two, you can reserve your spot at 6 PM on the Sunday before the home game through their reservation system. If you don’t fit into one of those categories, you are still welcome to tailgate on camps. UCF Alumni and their guests are also welcome to tailgate inside UCF Fairwinds Alumni Center located on Memory Mall. All you need is a valid driver's license or ID. Note that Alumni tailgates begin three hours before kickoff and offer barbeque for purchase. What do I wear? School colors. Always wear school colors. You’re there to have a good time and support your team so you want to be loud and proud about it. What you actually wear depends on you. You can find people in black and gold bodysuits, you can find people in DIY-ed tube tops made from cheap UCF t-shirts, there will be people just rocking UCF hats or plain t-shirts or just school colors as well. Other times people go all out with face paint, glitter and temporary tattoos. #UCFansWear encourages UCF fans to wear a certain color. For example, for the UCF vs. FAU Tailgate, fans are encouraged to wear black, and for the UCF vs. Pittsburgh tailgate, fans are encouraged to wear white. Of course, if you wear school colors that aren’t exactly those it will be fine, but you’re welcome to align with the colors. What do People do at Tailgates? A tailgate is a big social event where people get excited to support their teams. There are a variety of activities that take place at tailgates such games, dancing, drinking, and eating. Games Tailgates go on for a long time and it can be a bit boring to just stand around or eat chips the whole time, therefore you need games. This is the time where people bring out their mad Cornhole skills, their great aim for beer pong, and their impressive throwing arms for playing catch with footballs. Food In terms of food, some people go all out while others stick with the basics. Some people bring out their grills to make food such as wings, burgers, and hot dogs. Other people just purchase pre-made snacks such as chips, bagged popcorn, etc. Drinks This is sort of a huge party so there will be alcohol. If you’re not of age or just don’t want to drink, people tend to bring a lot of water or soda. I would recommend you drink some water because Florida is very hot and humid and you do not want to risk getting dehydrated. Other Activities Feel free to walk around Memory Mall, see the Marching Knights perform at different intervals prior to kickoff, and take pictures.